Wow great review, just the kinda stuff I was looking for. I really appreciated the last part where you rank the speakers up against the competition. It gives me a frame of reference of how these stack up.
Pull the trigger in these puppies if you really want them over other speakers at this range. I got them yesterday from Sweetwater. Yes there is a hiss. It's hardly offensive/noticeable and even if you can hear it from where you're sitting, your ears adjust within moments and it's pretty much forgotten about until you turn them off. You can NOT hear it during playback, which I think is the most important point? If you can, you have some other issue going on. I'm about 3-4 feet from them and never stop from work or leisure to consider it. They sound super clear to me and the bass controlled and tight like people say. It made some of my favorite songs sound a little worse (good news) and made some sound wonderful. Just showing me how honest they are and how I'm excited to crank out better mixes with these in my arsenal now. Maybe you're used to better boxes than these. But as a home artist upgrading, these were exactly I personally wanted for the price. Hope this helps.
Man I ordered both of mine from Sweetwater - great stuff but they literally forgot to send both I ordered. They "thought there was a pair per box" lmaooo. I waited such a long time only to go through another week soon. Disappointing management from their side - I literally went with them for this order because of something like this.
I've had my LP 6's for over a year now. Best speakers I've used at the price point, hiss taken into consideration. Using Sonarworks calibration as well. Really enjoy mixing with these (with and without Sonarworks)
Hi Joel could you guide me in terms of lp 6 or lp 8 which one is a better choice is it a huge difference .? I was about to buy I loud micro monitors but came across your review. Would be glad to have your input. Thanks.
I haven't tried the LP8, but it's just a matter of whether you want/need more deep bass extension. That will depend on you and they type of music you listen to or make.
@@dnttheband Similare to Joe's response, I've only used the LP6's but it seems like from everything I've read and heard it's extension on the lower end. I tend to mix and record more acoustic material so I usually don't have much super low frequencies in my mix to justify getting the LP 8's
just found your channel your leaderboards is one of the best features everr!!! idk why other review channels dont have this omg!! u have my sub. thank you
I just got a pair of black ones, ordered off Amazon and after using for a few days I really like em. I came across this video while researching these before purchasing and with the pair I got, there is no noticable hiss. The fans in my mac desktop are noticable and doesn't bother my live guitar recordings. I originally wanted Yamaha hs8 which is what we have at our studio but for the price I thought I'd try these out and I'm glad I did. I really like these everything is crisp and clear, perfect for home recording. I record metal and rock/blues with live Instruments and these sound great I have no complaints with the pair I got.
As someone who only has some mackie cr3 for monitoring my guitar through plugins, these look to be exactly what I’m looking for for getting into producing my own music. Thank you for the awesome review 🙏🏻
I have just bought a set of ART DM5 studio monitors. Canadian made also. New type of design with aluminum case and only 3 inchs deep. I like new ideas and these didn't disappoint. I have used Adam's, JBL and yes had a set of Rockits for a month and got rid of em. These are my favorite so far. Google the ARTs and have a look. Great video, keep em coming. This 63 year old guy from Canada says so!!!! TC
WOW !!!! THESE SPEAKERS ARE INCREDIBLE. I HAD KRK'S FOR YEARS FROM THE 5,8 AND 10'S ALL IM GOING TO SAY IS THESE SPEAKERS WILL LET YOU KNOW IF YOUR MIX IS BAD. THE VOCALS SITS IN YOUR FACE. IF THE IMAGING IS CRAZY. NO MORE KRK'S FOR ME... THE CONTROLS ON THE BACK THE HELPS YOU WITH YOUR ROOM IS AMAZING. FOR BEGINNING AND PRO ENGINNERS THESE ARE IT.
Letter by Yosi Horikawa is a fine example of soundstage! I go these last year and I love them to the core. They look huge kept on my desk and simply sound mesmerizing and specially scale up with high res music but old recordings sound okay on them as they are "flat" (probably)
They look good in white. In black the plastic seems to be too shinny. It's a little more modern look because the speakers are so plain looking to being with. The white gives them some appeal.
Your high Dina placement makes me wonder about your bias. I want the Kalis since they are much louder then my M-Audio BX5s even though my JBL sub helps them fill the room. I turn of my speakers when not in use so the hum will not be an issue to me. Keep up the great work.
Why would you wonder that? It's a diy build that I make nothing off of. It makes sense it would out perform the others, the cost of the parts themselves cost more than the Kali's retail! Think about it.
Hey Joe, if we ignore the hiss on the LPs where would you put them? EDIT: You answered it later in the video. Seems like LP6s are on top of most of your list anyway. Glad!
I own these. Great review! Not sure I would go with these for a med to large living room tho. They are def a great value for anyone interested in mixing + personal listening. As for the bass, it is there but not quite the juicy I prefer on playback (my setup is 3ft from any walls) - added a cheap 100w 10in Klipsch (crossed at 90ish Hz and less than 1/4 gain) to make low end fill out a bit. As for hiss: Mine are hooked up tsr to an interface and rca to a dac/preamp at 100% volume on the kalis. I get a bit of hiss through rca, but it is a bit lower when just tsr.
I have the 8's. I really like them. I don't like the hiss and at the distance I listen to them, it's very audible in a quiet house with a AC on. I also don't like that they only have one notch for volume level. They're hooked up to my mini DSP HD and I have the slop dropping sharply at 60hz where a dedicated 8" sub picks up the slack. They do play really well without a sub though.
@@joentell Did Kali Audio drop any news on a sub to you? When I was in email contact with them like 7 months ago or so, there was mention of one from someone at Kali.
@Joe N Tell I've known of the Kali LP6 since their release, but I'm obviously late to the party (your video) as well, and appreciate the thorough review and comparative measurements. I have a home studio and have stepped up to much better monitors such as the Neumann KH 120A and ATC SCM25a in my quest for better monitoring overall along with a much lower noise floor. I think that it is amazing how good some of these budget monitors are considering the cost constraints, but one of my pet peeves as well is the hiss/amplifier noise floor in most of these budget powered active studio monitors, especially as they are designed for near-field monitoring. To be fair, sacrifices need to be made somewhere in order to meet the price points, and the amplifier modules as well as the cabinets/enclosures are a few of the ways to do this since driver technology has come so far and you can manufacture really great performing drivers for not all that much money when produced in bulk. Thankfully, it looks as if your review here was Very Influential because Kali Audio has just announced the new *Kali IN-5* concentric driver studio monitors, and one of their main advertising bullet points is -12dB less self-noise (hiss) compared to the previous models due to an updated amplifier design. :-) So I'd be interested in your review of the new *Kali IN-5* and how they compare overall to the LP6, though I may just pick up a pair for myself for S&G's. I've often recommended the Kali LP6 as well as the original JBL LSR-305 and the later 306P MK II (when each of them goes on a blowout sale) to friends wanting a small, simple, and inexpensive "home stereo" or even garage/workshop setup to stream music & podcasts from their smartphones or tablets when combined with a decent, inexpensive Bluetooth receiver. This is an unobtrusive and great sounding living room, bedroom, or garage setup for folks that can't or don't want to invest much but are seeking something simple and compact but decent for everyday home listening. And as you stated, the hiss or noise floor doesn't matter as much for this use case scenario. Thanks again for the review. Cheers!
i returned them cause hiss is unacceptable in monitors, they are good speakers but not for me, i hope Kali Audio will fix that in the new models they ll do we are in 2020.
Class D amplifiers hiss because of the opamp IC its based on I guess. There's nothing you can do about it. Kalis have the same amp circuit as JBLs as well as high frequency driver. Nice review though, really cool that you did measurments in home enviromenet with different settings.
Totally excellent review Joe. I really liked the comparisons under all your categories and how much detail you went into. I've got the original JBL 305s and looking to upgrade and these are up near the top of my list so far, but on your recommendation, am going to check the Hercules too.
@@joentell Cheicking that out right now. Thanks. My only issue, like so many, is the noise floor, but wonder if I would even notice it over the sound of my hard drive.
I use the JBL 308p mkIIs (the 8" version) as my main monitors, they sound great albeit quite colored. I think they make better hi fi speakers than studio monitors. The JBLs are also just way too light. I'm planning on opening them up and adding some sandbags hoping that will help. I can confirm that the 308s hiss as well, but that doesn't bother me at all, to me they seem alive. I have been eyeing the Kali LP8s, they sound great, but I think I'll just save up and jump categories to a pair of Barefoot Footprint 01s. Thanks for the deep dive Joe.
Nice review. Good information. I'm a little confused regarding the -3db point measurement, it says on their data sheet that they used Freq. Response: (-10 dB) 39 Hz - 25 kHz..
Hi Joe! Thank you for this great review. I was looking to buy the Kali's LP-6. After watching your reviews, I am torn between the LP-6 and Hercules Monitor 5. My work involves sound editing/mixing for film and documentary. Which of these two would you recommend for this kind of work? Thank you in advance.
@@MikeMackie Yup. More balanced sounding with much punchier bass. Sounds better for everything including, video games, listening to music, and for music production.
Will you measure the new V2 ("2nd wave") of the Kali LP-6 and LP-8 that is being releases in 1-2 weeks? They have 12dB lower self-noise, better DSP and an additional boundary setting for horizontal positioning.
i'm pretty sure the hiss is from the ADC section, it looks like both these and the JBL use a cirrus audio DSP chip to process audio before sending it to the D class amp chip,
Nice review! Very concise! I recently bought a pare of these. I still need stands for them, as they sit directly on my desk almost a foot away from the wall. My room is rectangular and about 16x12 in size. Given their placement and the room dimensions, what settings on the back of the speakers do you recommend I set them to for the best sound? Lately I've noticed a hollow tone to them and am wanting to fix that problem.
Do you plan to do more tower speaker reviews? Appreciate all your bookshelf reviews, but I'm struggling to find the benefit of bookshelves for LR speakers if they have to take up floorspace anyway with stands.
probably it's because the volume control is part of the amplifier board which is......at the back. Other wise you vae to mont the volume control separately, run a wire, drill a hole...all of a sudden you can't just mount an amp board at the back and call it a day. In real ife you should have to adjust the volume "from the back".
It’s not a volume control it’s a matching control, you set it one time and never touch it again unless you change something. It’s there so you can match the output of one monitor to another, once that’s done you shouldn’t touch it again. The power switch on the other hand should be on the front...
Thanks for the review. So, for music production where you need the flattest response and most detail, would you recommend these over the Hercules in spite of the hiss?
They're both excellent. These can play louder...but I wouldn't want to play it that loud in my space. Maybe others would. These play deeper also since the enclosure and driver are larger.
Oh I was torn between this and Mackie MR series. Got the Mackies because they don't hiss and play so well at low listening levels. Although I don't understand how the MR624 does better bass response than MR824 since I've always heard the larger version of the same speaker should go lower. If you could get your hands on them I'd love to see what you've got to say since you have the tools and experience to vouch for it. Eagerly waiting.
@@NWGR yeh I was just saying that to show how unnoticeable it is. I am sitting at my desk right now in my phone, and I dont even hear the hiss if I watch a video on my phone. Half the time I dont even hear the hiss. I too was expecting a loud hiss from all the reviews but I am very happy with my purchase.
ALH GUITAR thanks for your input, the hiss is scaring me a little. But I imagine you can keep the gain lower and just turn up the interface to combat it a little?
I have these. They are amazing! I’ve used the Yamaha HS5 - HS8 | JBL LSR 305’s and 308’s | Adam 5’s and 7’s | KRK Rockits | I’ve worked with Genelecs and NS 10’s I do not experience the hiss. Zero hiss. Zero My review coming soon. You’re hearing the hiss because your soundcard is not that good also you have the levels too high
Was looking at the HS8’s was sold on those but haven’t bought yet got to listen to a lot but not the Kalis yet. I know their quite a bit cheaper would you recommend this over the HS8’s?
@@mxleuphoria5130 I would definitely recommend these over the HS8’s You won’t regret it. The HS8’s don’t have a lot of bass And the highs are harsh. The Kali LP6’s have nice clean highs and tight bass I’ve heard the Yamahas several hundred times over the years. I worked in studios that had the HS8’s Plus I owned the HS5’s The Kali overall is miles ahead
Great review! I’m deciding whether to get these or the hercules, it would jus be for beginning to learn how to DJ, between the two, which would you recommend?
Either would be good. These will get a bit louder if that's important to you. The hiss I complained about might be less of an issue and tonal accuracy might not be the top priority.
I Have the JBL 305's MKI. Came here for reviews because people mentioned these as alternatives. That's a lot of hiss.Putting me off buying. I have the volumes all the way on mine (these 305's are not very loud in the first place. Mine sit around 2 ft. from my head. No hiss unless I put my ear right against the tweeter and even that's very low. Why I'm looking for another speaker..... I have 3 -305's. One was making buzzy noises when playing certain synths in my DAW (very annoying). I thought at first the woofer might have been damaged in a moving accident, so I bought another. Same problem. I started searching the web and discovered there's such a thing as monitors resonating. Sure enough, turns out if I press my fingers against certain areas of the outer edge (chassis) of the speaker, buzzing stops. Tightening screws don't help. Probably would have to make a bead of silicone around the hole or cut out a ring made of rubber or something.... basically a kludge. Long story short...which is why I'm tempted to try another brand that doesn't hopefully resonate. Sadly that amount of hiss is scary, heh
These look awesome. Especially for the price. A bit too "pro" for my desktop, I'd need to use a standalone DAC instead of the USB connection I'm currently using, but I love that dip switch technology. They've really done their homework. I will say though, I wish companies would use better D-class amps. Maybe they'd cost a bit more, but it'd be worth it for clarity and hopefully getting rid of the hiss.
The Hercules Monitor 5 is quieter and has better build quality when it comes to the enclosure. I think Kali spent money on that woofer that allows this to play pretty deep. It's always a trade-off right?
Thank you! Ordered a black pair last night then found this. Sweetwater called today mb discontinued. I hope the v2s are worth the extra 120 for the pair?
Thanks for the detailed video Joe. Can you tell me what nearfield desk monitors you think might work best for voice over work. Sounds like the Kali's may be good for this but thought you may have a suggestion for editing voice over with the daw. Thanks Ray
These would definitely work. I also made a playlist of my active speaker reviews ruclips.net/p/PLLo6DbkjBoKYoOvV34bYS3iSxW6DiFZGF Also check my Speaker Leaderboard bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard
@@joentell Hi Joe, Thanks for the quick reply. I did check out your leader board and what a great tool for people trying to compare products. You have a winner there!
@@Isaac-wm7us hook 1/4 monitors to the audio interface. Hook USB audio interface to the pc. All power through UPS battery backup with line conditioning 💪
Great video. I hooked up my Technics 1210 mk2 directly to the speaker via a phono to TRS cable. It plays fine but is sooooo quiet, even on max volume on the back of the speaker. Do I need a preamplifier between the turntable and speaker?
Joe I just tried a ton of speakers $4000- 6000 and none of them compared to the Emotiva speakers I wish you would review them I paid $999.00 for 2 (Tower Speakers)
@@robertoquintana7447 i am saying that this speakers won't end up on my desk. If your speakers have ground you get noise from everything connected to the same ground.
I am not sure you are a little biased, your DINAS comes on top in most situations? For e.g. JBL is a speaker/driver company that has been in this business for a very LONG time, there are now so many companies mainly from China that are coming to take a market share from these well-established companies and they are priced much below the established brands.
To be fair, the DINAS are diy meaning I'm only accounting for the cost of the parts. There's no budget for marketing, profits or the labor to build it. An equivalent speaker you could buy would be much more expensive. That makes sense right?
@@joentell there's a guy on Reddit who posted a rough measurement, unfortunately without much description so it's hard to find, but depending on the frequency it was up to 10 decibels higher in certain ranges. Hard to say from memory but the 308 I don't remember hearing as clearly over ventilation, and the Kali I can hear over a ten year old fridge that is pretty "grindy".
hey this monitors are so amazaing! but i've got a question. when i turn them on i've got a very subtle noise like a white noise or cracking sound. is that normal or not ? grtz
@@kamilkashaf2766 I got a smoking deal on the Kali's and went with the Kali LP-6. $1,000?? Heck no. $382cad ($303usd) for the pair! Both the JBL's and Kali's were on sale under $200cad/side, while the Mackie's didn't go on sale and stayed at $270cad/side. It was a no brainer at that point.
Hiss is pretty ridiculous even at price point. Save a little more and get something better made. If they couldn't be bothered with proper rectification, what else is cheap junk inside?
Currently looking for monitors I was looking at the Yamaha HS8’s? I gotta test drive those and like them over all the others I saw but I haven’t got the chance to see the kalis. I know there’s a big price difference, anyone have experience with both?
I've built them before and enjoyed building the Overnight Sensations more. I thought the OS sounded more fun also. The C-notes could play louder though
@@erikmuller8512 From memory, I would say they would compare to speakers about twice their price...around $200-$250. That's not bad. Building and painting them took me a while though. It's more about making them yourself rather than the value proposition.
@@joentell I agree, it's more about the experience. If it wasn't so experience to ship them to Sweden(double the price) I would probably already have c-notes playing music in my home. I bought instead Audio Pro add-on t14 (www.audiopro.com/en/product/addon-t14/#white)on 50%sale, don't have a flat curve, but sounds good for the price and looks good. Use volumio on a pi wide a sound card. Will probably build a set of speakers soon if I can get may hands of a kit in Europe! Thanks for the answer again!
Hiss is a dealbreaker for me, as my monitors are close. Can anyone reccomend the next stup up - a pair of monitors with the deep tight low extension, and no hiss? I understand they will cost more.
![Eminem - Temporary (feat. Skylar Grey) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZaK9Wi5ho0o/mqdefault.jpg)
Kinda late to the party but this video was highly detailed and I appreciated every minute of it,,, Take care dude
Wow great review, just the kinda stuff I was looking for. I really appreciated the last part where you rank the speakers up against the competition. It gives me a frame of reference of how these stack up.
Pull the trigger in these puppies if you really want them over other speakers at this range. I got them yesterday from Sweetwater. Yes there is a hiss. It's hardly offensive/noticeable and even if you can hear it from where you're sitting, your ears adjust within moments and it's pretty much forgotten about until you turn them off. You can NOT hear it during playback, which I think is the most important point? If you can, you have some other issue going on. I'm about 3-4 feet from them and never stop from work or leisure to consider it. They sound super clear to me and the bass controlled and tight like people say. It made some of my favorite songs sound a little worse (good news) and made some sound wonderful. Just showing me how honest they are and how I'm excited to crank out better mixes with these in my arsenal now. Maybe you're used to better boxes than these. But as a home artist upgrading, these were exactly I personally wanted for the price. Hope this helps.
Man I ordered both of mine from Sweetwater - great stuff but they literally forgot to send both I ordered. They "thought there was a pair per box" lmaooo. I waited such a long time only to go through another week soon. Disappointing management from their side - I literally went with them for this order because of something like this.
@@VicSellsPeace omg that's wildly stupid haha. Hope the other one reaches you soon.
I disagree. At least in my case Im editing voiceover and you can absolutely hear the hiss during playback.
@@Burritosarebetterthantacos Crap. I will edit VO too and can't overlook the hiss
@@daniellee1722 Honestly mine have gotten even louder. Will be switching soon.
I've had my LP 6's for over a year now. Best speakers I've used at the price point, hiss taken into consideration. Using Sonarworks calibration as well. Really enjoy mixing with these (with and without Sonarworks)
Hi Joel could you guide me in terms of lp 6 or lp 8 which one is a better choice is it a huge difference .? I was about to buy I loud micro monitors but came across your review. Would be glad to have your input. Thanks.
I haven't tried the LP8, but it's just a matter of whether you want/need more deep bass extension. That will depend on you and they type of music you listen to or make.
@@dnttheband Similare to Joe's response, I've only used the LP6's but it seems like from everything I've read and heard it's extension on the lower end. I tend to mix and record more acoustic material so I usually don't have much super low frequencies in my mix to justify getting the LP 8's
Thank you Joe and Joel for your swift response. Considering my room is small and untreated I guess lp 6 would be a better option.?
just found your channel your leaderboards is one of the best features everr!!! idk why other review channels dont have this omg!! u have my sub. thank you
Welcome aboard!
Finally, the review is here!!!! Been waiting for this for a while man!
Here it is!
I just got a pair of black ones, ordered off Amazon and after using for a few days I really like em. I came across this video while researching these before purchasing and with the pair I got, there is no noticable hiss. The fans in my mac desktop are noticable and doesn't bother my live guitar recordings. I originally wanted Yamaha hs8 which is what we have at our studio but for the price I thought I'd try these out and I'm glad I did. I really like these everything is crisp and clear, perfect for home recording. I record metal and rock/blues with live Instruments and these sound great I have no complaints with the pair I got.
This video earned you a sub, and Kali a sold pair of LP-6 :) Great stuff man, can't wait to get these home!
As someone who only has some mackie cr3 for monitoring my guitar through plugins, these look to be exactly what I’m looking for for getting into producing my own music. Thank you for the awesome review 🙏🏻
These tick all the boxes for me. Great review thanks!
I have just bought a set of ART DM5 studio monitors. Canadian made also. New type of design with aluminum case and only 3 inchs deep. I like new ideas and these didn't disappoint. I have used Adam's, JBL and yes had a set of Rockits for a month and got rid of em. These are my favorite so far. Google the ARTs and have a look. Great video, keep em coming. This 63 year old guy from Canada says so!!!! TC
Hey Joe, luv the speaker leaderboard, I wish all reviewers would use that tool....
WOW !!!! THESE SPEAKERS ARE INCREDIBLE. I HAD KRK'S FOR YEARS FROM THE 5,8 AND 10'S ALL IM GOING TO SAY IS THESE SPEAKERS WILL LET YOU KNOW IF YOUR MIX IS BAD. THE VOCALS SITS IN YOUR FACE. IF THE IMAGING IS CRAZY. NO MORE KRK'S FOR ME... THE CONTROLS ON THE BACK THE HELPS YOU WITH YOUR ROOM IS AMAZING. FOR BEGINNING AND PRO ENGINNERS THESE ARE IT.
Audio on the vid sounded good to me, no apologies necessary! Thanks for the content! Thumbs up.
Definitely the best review of these on yt.
this is a really great, detailed review. thanks so much for all the information! got a new subscriber :)
Hey Peter. You're very welcome. Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed the info.
Great video, Joe! Love the detailed explanation through the frequency spectrum! ❤️
These guys provide great value for money and the evolution of the range is very significant. (The IN, LP 2nd series. NO more HISS!) :-)
Letter by Yosi Horikawa is a fine example of soundstage! I go these last year and I love them to the core. They look huge kept on my desk and simply sound mesmerizing and specially scale up with high res music but old recordings sound okay on them as they are "flat" (probably)
Really wonderful review, great great job, thank you
Thank you for your kind response
I've used a preamp with the JBLs and that's helped with the hiss
Kali has a cocentric design now too that I'm sure you've heard about
Yes I've seen their concentric. I am a fan of 3-way concentric designs.
Unfortunately, the hiss is still audible with nothing connected.
@@joentell yeah, the crazy amount of hiss is what made me return the IN-8.
Now I'm looking at a Genelec 8260.
Can't you remove the hiss by using a power conditioner?
@@omfgihopethisworks Maybe an extension just to power them and switch it off when not in use simple :)
They look good in white. In black the plastic seems to be too shinny. It's a little more modern look because the speakers are so plain looking to being with. The white gives them some appeal.
Hey Joe, if you ever get the chance, you should do a head to head with the 130 Arena and the Fluance SX6.
white will turn yellow overtime or grey
Imo the white looks better than the black. Even a bit nicer on the V2 with the woofer material change.
I put these next to ax7 and they actually keep up . The highs are airy like tannoys which is great for me .
One of the best test out there****THX
Your high Dina placement makes me wonder about your bias. I want the Kalis since they are much louder then my M-Audio BX5s even though my JBL sub helps them fill the room. I turn of my speakers when not in use so the hum will not be an issue to me. Keep up the great work.
Why would you wonder that? It's a diy build that I make nothing off of. It makes sense it would out perform the others, the cost of the parts themselves cost more than the Kali's retail! Think about it.
Hey Joe, if we ignore the hiss on the LPs where would you put them?
EDIT: You answered it later in the video. Seems like LP6s are on top of most of your list anyway. Glad!
Hi, I own the lp6s and I have very little hiss, if I step away from my desk I cant even hear it
@@alistairhomewood7344 I hear no hiss and they're like 2 feet away from my ears. Weird but I'm happy.
I own these. Great review! Not sure I would go with these for a med to large living room tho. They are def a great value for anyone interested in mixing + personal listening. As for the bass, it is there but not quite the juicy I prefer on playback (my setup is 3ft from any walls) - added a cheap 100w 10in Klipsch (crossed at 90ish Hz and less than 1/4 gain) to make low end fill out a bit. As for hiss: Mine are hooked up tsr to an interface and rca to a dac/preamp at 100% volume on the kalis. I get a bit of hiss through rca, but it is a bit lower when just tsr.
I know what you mean about the bass. It's 100% there...but it leaves me wanting a bit more
@@joentell how does the bass compare to the JBL 306P MkII?
I have the 8's. I really like them. I don't like the hiss and at the distance I listen to them, it's very audible in a quiet house with a AC on. I also don't like that they only have one notch for volume level. They're hooked up to my mini DSP HD and I have the slop dropping sharply at 60hz where a dedicated 8" sub picks up the slack. They do play really well without a sub though.
Agree
@@joentell I will say, at my more relaxed listening position, the hiss is not audible. When playing music, or video games, also not audible.
@@joentell Did Kali Audio drop any news on a sub to you? When I was in email contact with them like 7 months ago or so, there was mention of one from someone at Kali.
@@6spdkeg I recall seeing something also.
@Joe N Tell
I've known of the Kali LP6 since their release, but I'm obviously late to the party (your video) as well, and appreciate the thorough review and comparative measurements.
I have a home studio and have stepped up to much better monitors such as the Neumann KH 120A and ATC SCM25a in my quest for better monitoring overall along with a much lower noise floor.
I think that it is amazing how good some of these budget monitors are considering the cost constraints, but one of my pet peeves as well is the hiss/amplifier noise floor in most of these budget powered active studio monitors, especially as they are designed for near-field monitoring.
To be fair, sacrifices need to be made somewhere in order to meet the price points, and the amplifier modules as well as the cabinets/enclosures are a few of the ways to do this since driver technology has come so far and you can manufacture really great performing drivers for not all that much money when produced in bulk.
Thankfully, it looks as if your review here was Very Influential because Kali Audio has just announced the new *Kali IN-5* concentric driver studio monitors, and one of their main advertising bullet points is -12dB less self-noise (hiss) compared to the previous models due to an updated amplifier design. :-)
So I'd be interested in your review of the new *Kali IN-5* and how they compare overall to the LP6, though I may just pick up a pair for myself for S&G's.
I've often recommended the Kali LP6 as well as the original JBL LSR-305 and the later 306P MK II (when each of them goes on a blowout sale) to friends wanting a small, simple, and inexpensive "home stereo" or even garage/workshop setup to stream music & podcasts from their smartphones or tablets when combined with a decent, inexpensive Bluetooth receiver.
This is an unobtrusive and great sounding living room, bedroom, or garage setup for folks that can't or don't want to invest much but are seeking something simple and compact but decent for everyday home listening. And as you stated, the hiss or noise floor doesn't matter as much for this use case scenario.
Thanks again for the review.
Cheers!
Excellent review Joe. I agree with this review. I have LP8 pair and the major difference would be in a lesser hiss in LP8 compared to LP6.
i returned them cause hiss is unacceptable in monitors, they are good speakers but not for me, i hope Kali Audio will fix that in the new models they ll do we are in 2020.
Class D amplifiers hiss because of the opamp IC its based on I guess. There's nothing you can do about it. Kalis have the same amp circuit as JBLs as well as high frequency driver. Nice review though, really cool that you did measurments in home enviromenet with different settings.
Totally excellent review Joe. I really liked the comparisons under all your categories and how much detail you went into. I've got the original JBL 305s and looking to upgrade and these are up near the top of my list so far, but on your recommendation, am going to check the Hercules too.
I just put out a review of the OSD AB5's
@@joentell Cheicking that out right now. Thanks. My only issue, like so many, is the noise floor, but wonder if I would even notice it over the sound of my hard drive.
I use the JBL 308p mkIIs (the 8" version) as my main monitors, they sound great albeit quite colored. I think they make better hi fi speakers than studio monitors. The JBLs are also just way too light. I'm planning on opening them up and adding some sandbags hoping that will help. I can confirm that the 308s hiss as well, but that doesn't bother me at all, to me they seem alive.
I have been eyeing the Kali LP8s, they sound great, but I think I'll just save up and jump categories to a pair of Barefoot Footprint 01s.
Thanks for the deep dive Joe.
Joe, revisit the v2 version: NO HISS, and other goodies.
I love the hiss, better than the humm. Al others humm.
Nice review. Good information. I'm a little confused regarding the -3db point measurement, it says on their data sheet that they used Freq. Response: (-10 dB) 39 Hz - 25 kHz..
great review.. thanks man
Hi Joe! Thank you for this great review. I was looking to buy the Kali's LP-6. After watching your reviews, I am torn between the LP-6 and Hercules Monitor 5. My work involves sound editing/mixing for film and documentary. Which of these two would you recommend for this kind of work? Thank you in advance.
Weird about the hiss. Mine dont hiss at all.
did u have the exact same monitors?
Just ordered a pair of these to replace my jbl lsr305s :)
How like em ??
Are they better than the 305s?
@@MikeMackie Yup. More balanced sounding with much punchier bass. Sounds better for everything including, video games, listening to music, and for music production.
Too much floor noise, they have electrical issues, pour quality build. Playing loud does not mean better.
Will you measure the new V2 ("2nd wave") of the Kali LP-6 and LP-8 that is being releases in 1-2 weeks? They have 12dB lower self-noise, better DSP and an additional boundary setting for horizontal positioning.
i'm pretty sure the hiss is from the ADC section, it looks like both these and the JBL use a cirrus audio DSP chip to process audio before sending it to the D class amp chip,
I'm not sure, but I think they maybe are using the same amp all together.
Nice review! Very concise!
I recently bought a pare of these.
I still need stands for them, as they sit directly on my desk almost a foot away from the wall.
My room is rectangular and about 16x12 in size. Given their placement and the room dimensions, what settings on the back of the speakers do you recommend I set them to for the best sound?
Lately I've noticed a hollow tone to them and am wanting to fix that problem.
Nice SHP's, Joe. Love those cans to death.
I love mine too. Second time I've bought them.
Do you plan to do more tower speaker reviews? Appreciate all your bookshelf reviews, but I'm struggling to find the benefit of bookshelves for LR speakers if they have to take up floorspace anyway with stands.
Why do these studio monitor companies think we like to walk behind the monitors to adjust the volume?
Maybe they don't want anyone adjusting the volume once it's set? Normally, the volume is adjusted on the interface when using studio monitors.
probably it's because the volume control is part of the amplifier board which is......at the back. Other wise you vae to mont the volume control separately, run a wire, drill a hole...all of a sudden you can't just mount an amp board at the back and call it a day. In real ife you should have to adjust the volume "from the back".
It’s not a volume control it’s a matching control, you set it one time and never touch it again unless you change something. It’s there so you can match the output of one monitor to another, once that’s done you shouldn’t touch it again. The power switch on the other hand should be on the front...
Thanks for the review. So, for music production where you need the flattest response and most detail, would you recommend these over the Hercules in spite of the hiss?
They're both excellent. These can play louder...but I wouldn't want to play it that loud in my space. Maybe others would. These play deeper also since the enclosure and driver are larger.
Oh I was torn between this and Mackie MR series. Got the Mackies because they don't hiss and play so well at low listening levels. Although I don't understand how the MR624 does better bass response than MR824 since I've always heard the larger version of the same speaker should go lower.
If you could get your hands on them I'd love to see what you've got to say since you have the tools and experience to vouch for it. Eagerly waiting.
Ugh...
The hiss is a dealbreaker for me. :-(
I hope you get some more studio monitors to test out. Still looking for that perfect pair.
I have the lp6, and if I step away from my desk, I can't even hear the hiss! When music is playing you hear no hiss.
@@alistairhomewood7344 That's the problem; I don't want to step away from my desk to not hear hiss, and I don't have speakers going all the time.
@@NWGR yeh I was just saying that to show how unnoticeable it is. I am sitting at my desk right now in my phone, and I dont even hear the hiss if I watch a video on my phone. Half the time I dont even hear the hiss. I too was expecting a loud hiss from all the reviews but I am very happy with my purchase.
ALH GUITAR thanks for your input, the hiss is scaring me a little. But I imagine you can keep the gain lower and just turn up the interface to combat it a little?
@spicecrop Thanks, I'll look into those. 👍
I have these. They are amazing! I’ve used the Yamaha HS5 - HS8 | JBL LSR 305’s and 308’s |
Adam 5’s and 7’s | KRK Rockits | I’ve worked with Genelecs and NS 10’s
I do not experience the hiss.
Zero hiss.
Zero
My review coming soon.
You’re hearing the hiss because your soundcard is not that good also you have the levels too high
Was looking at the HS8’s was sold on those but haven’t bought yet got to listen to a lot but not the Kalis yet. I know their quite a bit cheaper would you recommend this over the HS8’s?
@@mxleuphoria5130 I would definitely recommend these over the HS8’s
You won’t regret it.
The HS8’s don’t have a lot of bass
And the highs are harsh.
The Kali LP6’s have nice clean highs and tight bass
I’ve heard the Yamahas several hundred times over the years. I worked in studios that had the HS8’s Plus I owned the HS5’s
The Kali overall is miles ahead
@@Sinista-Beatz awesome!!! Thanks for the info just starting to see these more and reviews over them appreciate the advice! 👏🏼
@@mxleuphoria5130 you’re welcome! I’m a long time Audiophile Audio Engineer Producer Artist and just purely a sound nerd. You will not be disappointed
"You’re hearing the hiss because your soundcard is not that good also you have the levels too high" errr no.
Great review! I’m deciding whether to get these or the hercules, it would jus be for beginning to learn how to DJ, between the two, which would you recommend?
Either would be good. These will get a bit louder if that's important to you. The hiss I complained about might be less of an issue and tonal accuracy might not be the top priority.
I Have the JBL 305's MKI. Came here for reviews because people mentioned these as alternatives. That's a lot of hiss.Putting me off buying. I have the volumes all the way on mine (these 305's are not very loud in the first place. Mine sit around 2 ft. from my head. No hiss unless I put my ear right against the tweeter and even that's very low.
Why I'm looking for another speaker..... I have 3 -305's. One was making buzzy noises when playing certain synths in my DAW (very annoying). I thought at first the woofer might have been damaged in a moving accident, so I bought another. Same problem. I started searching the web and discovered there's such a thing as monitors resonating. Sure enough, turns out if I press my fingers against certain areas of the outer edge (chassis) of the speaker, buzzing stops. Tightening screws don't help. Probably would have to make a bead of silicone around the hole or cut out a ring made of rubber or something.... basically a kludge.
Long story short...which is why I'm tempted to try another brand that doesn't hopefully resonate. Sadly that amount of hiss is scary, heh
any reason why you dont do more floor standing speaker ? I do love your channel
I would love to do more. I have an apartment. That's one reason. Second is, I get sent more bookshelf speakers for some reason.
@@joentell It is because bookshelves simply sell more.
These look awesome. Especially for the price. A bit too "pro" for my desktop, I'd need to use a standalone DAC instead of the USB connection I'm currently using, but I love that dip switch technology. They've really done their homework. I will say though, I wish companies would use better D-class amps. Maybe they'd cost a bit more, but it'd be worth it for clarity and hopefully getting rid of the hiss.
The Hercules Monitor 5 is quieter and has better build quality when it comes to the enclosure. I think Kali spent money on that woofer that allows this to play pretty deep. It's always a trade-off right?
Yeah, the hiss is pretty ridiculous, especially considering there are a hundred dollar computer speakers that hiss less.
Hey Joe, do you ever review Klipsch speakers? Can you have a look please.
I talked with a rep at Klipsch at CES. I hopefully will be able to review some.
Thank you! Ordered a black pair last night then found this. Sweetwater called today mb discontinued. I hope the v2s are worth the extra 120 for the pair?
Thanks for the detailed video Joe. Can you tell me what nearfield desk monitors you think might work best for voice over work. Sounds like the Kali's may be good for this but thought you may have a suggestion for editing voice over with the daw. Thanks Ray
These would definitely work. I also made a playlist of my active speaker reviews ruclips.net/p/PLLo6DbkjBoKYoOvV34bYS3iSxW6DiFZGF
Also check my Speaker Leaderboard bit.ly/SpeakerLeaderboard
@@joentell Hi Joe, Thanks for the quick reply. I did check out your leader board and what a great tool for people trying to compare products. You have a winner there!
The hiss disappeared for me once I ran my Modx audio interface USB to my pc with 1/4 to monitors . Its odd but try it.
Elaborate on this ? I have an interface with 1/4 trs to xlr cables running to my Kalis lp6
@@Isaac-wm7us hook 1/4 monitors to the audio interface. Hook USB audio interface to the pc. All power through UPS battery backup with line conditioning 💪
Great video. I hooked up my Technics 1210 mk2 directly to the speaker via a phono to TRS cable. It plays fine but is sooooo quiet, even on max volume on the back of the speaker. Do I need a preamplifier between the turntable and speaker?
Trade you my new black ones for those white ones? If you still have them. That non flush thing bothers me too.
Joe I just tried a ton of speakers $4000- 6000 and none of them compared to the Emotiva speakers I wish you would review them I paid $999.00 for 2 (Tower Speakers)
2:00 Hissing sound. Nope, not on my desktop.
Your monitors doesnt have the hiss sound ?
@@robertoquintana7447 i am saying that this speakers won't end up on my desk. If your speakers have ground you get noise from everything connected to the same ground.
Amazon has them listed at $149.00!!!
I am not sure you are a little biased, your DINAS comes on top in most situations?
For e.g. JBL is a speaker/driver company that has been in this business for a very LONG time, there are now so many companies mainly from China that are coming to take a market share from these well-established companies and they are priced much below the established brands.
To be fair, the DINAS are diy meaning I'm only accounting for the cost of the parts. There's no budget for marketing, profits or the labor to build it. An equivalent speaker you could buy would be much more expensive. That makes sense right?
Thanks for the review. Unfortunately leaves everything up in the air for me.
Buy the Kali Audio LP-6 on Amazon: bit.ly/KaliAudioLP6White 🔊🔊🔊
Buy the Kali Audio MV-BT Bluetooth Module: amzn.to/2QrsZy2
You say the -3dB is 39hz? On Kali's site and reference data it is stated as 47hz? Really lost here
Theirs is probably more accurate! 😂 Mine is an in room response. I'm pretty sure theirs is anechoic or pseudo-anechoic (outdoors).
@@joentell Ah sorry i thought you had stated that the kali spec was 39hz; either way your test is more applicable to me! Thanks
Hiss wise I'd say it's about double what I remember from the JBL LSR308.
Seems the same as the JBL 306P's
@@joentell there's a guy on Reddit who posted a rough measurement, unfortunately without much description so it's hard to find, but depending on the frequency it was up to 10 decibels higher in certain ranges.
Hard to say from memory but the 308 I don't remember hearing as clearly over ventilation, and the Kali I can hear over a ten year old fridge that is pretty "grindy".
Hmm hiss in your speakers, what cables are you using with them
hi joe is there hissing issue if so how you fixed it
LOL wow...hiss machines!
i have this monitors :)
Hi Joe. thanks for your review. I am an audio noob. I wonder if a HiFi speakers like Evoke 20 can be used as a Near-Field Studio Monitor?
No
hey this monitors are so amazaing! but i've got a question. when i turn them on i've got a very subtle noise like a white noise or cracking sound. is that normal or not ? grtz
Actually, their website specs states "Freq. Response (-10 dB): 39 Hz - 25 kHz" (not at -3dB as stated in the video) Hmmmm
Lp6 or Hs5?? Please suggest me ..iam mixing biggener...please Help
Please give me your views on lp6 Vs hs5...I need to get one but can't decide
These or, the Fluid FX50's? I can't decide!
hey man which one did you end up getting?
@@urkomplex Kali but, I am looking towards some Adam's. Got the JBL studio sub too.
i noticed it too. a non-starter
Have you tried the Mackie MR624's? Where would you rate those in comparison to the Kali's & JBL's for desk and living room?
Those Mackie's are too mid forward. Kali is what I'd go with out of the three but there are better measuring systems out there under $1000 a pair.
@@kamilkashaf2766 I got a smoking deal on the Kali's and went with the Kali LP-6. $1,000?? Heck no. $382cad ($303usd) for the pair! Both the JBL's and Kali's were on sale under $200cad/side, while the Mackie's didn't go on sale and stayed at $270cad/side. It was a no brainer at that point.
Yo get rid of the hiss you have to buy trs balanced cables. I had the hissing problem at first but after I got those cables it went away
Nope. These and others have hiss even without cables connected. I've also verified with the manufacturers.
@@joentell it worked for me. I got some balanced cables and the hiss went away 🤷🏾♂️
Put your ear very close to the tweeter in a quiet setting. I guarantee you'll hear something.
should I get Active Studio monitor or Passive with a separate power amp?
Active
I read that these actually do distort at higher levels, have you noticed this? also is the hiss noticeable at higher volumes while the musics playing?
Haven't heard the distortion at my listening levels. Hiss is not audible when music is playing.
They do distort but it's not that important and basically unnoticable, more noteworthy would be the distortion at the mids
Are you using balanced or unbalanced cables for that noise test?
Balanced. It does it without anything connected also.
@@joentell boooo. Unacceptable in my book
The white look way better than the black.
Hiss is pretty ridiculous even at price point. Save a little more and get something better made. If they couldn't be bothered with proper rectification, what else is cheap junk inside?
see the thing with the hiss im worried about is will it interfere with my mixing ?
It's not very audible when music is playing through them. It's just when they're off where it's annoying to me.
@@joentell Okay so im stuck...im trying to find some good monitoring speakers under $500 but without the hiss ...any recommendations ?
When connected to a PC I get a lot of his, when connected to the output audio Jack of my Samsung tablet I get none at all.
Currently looking for monitors I was looking at the Yamaha HS8’s? I gotta test drive those and like them over all the others I saw but I haven’t got the chance to see the kalis. I know there’s a big price difference, anyone have experience with both?
The new version of the LP6's has no "stand-by mode" anymore.
true ... i just receive mine. no standby. but the same hsss. for the test they are awesome :)
@@ChrisBessy is the hiss so terrible?? pls I want this monitorss tell me good news
@@lucasfornaso5269 The hiss is very minimal for me. Hardly noticable.
@@drumyogi9281 Thank u!!!
@@lucasfornaso5269 did you get them?
Could you test the c-notes from parts express?
I've built them before and enjoyed building the Overnight Sensations more. I thought the OS sounded more fun also. The C-notes could play louder though
@@joentell how about a review of them? I think it will be interesting to see how they performance against the leaderboard! Thanks for the answer!
@@erikmuller8512 From memory, I would say they would compare to speakers about twice their price...around $200-$250. That's not bad. Building and painting them took me a while though. It's more about making them yourself rather than the value proposition.
@@joentell I agree, it's more about the experience. If it wasn't so experience to ship them to Sweden(double the price) I would probably already have c-notes playing music in my home. I bought instead Audio Pro add-on t14 (www.audiopro.com/en/product/addon-t14/#white)on 50%sale, don't have a flat curve, but sounds good for the price and looks good. Use volumio on a pi wide a sound card. Will probably build a set of speakers soon if I can get may hands of a kit in Europe! Thanks for the answer again!
The hiss is gone now. They released a 2nd wave..
what monitor stands you were using?
I think these were just some cheap stands from Amazon. I don't remember. I don't have them anymore.
Hiss is a dealbreaker for me, as my monitors are close. Can anyone reccomend the next stup up - a pair of monitors with the deep tight low extension, and no hiss? I understand they will cost more.
I haven't reviewed many. I'm using these and I'm happy with them ruclips.net/video/Pcv3sXa_2hc/видео.html
@@joentell Thanks so much for the recommendation! Will check them out
Presonus Eris 8 XT and Yamaha hs8 are not hissy.
What's the name of the outro song?
Dude zero buzz/hum on my LP6s
Really? How